•;20 



HYDROGRAPHY. 



There is, however, no danger to be apprehended, provided care be 

 taken, and the vessel kept under sufficient sail to command her move- 

 ments. The tide, though extremely rapid, has the line of demarca- 

 tion between its currents clearly pointed out by the whirls and ripples, 

 which an attentive eye cannot fail to notice. 



PUGET'S SOUND. 



Puget's Sound embraces the extent of waters lying within the 

 Narrows, which is the only channel by which it can be reached. 

 The whole area comprised within its limit is about 400 square miles. 

 Its length, northeast and southwest, is 27 miles, while its breadth ex- 

 tends 15 miles at right angles to the length. By an inspection of the 

 Chart, it will be seen that this includes many islands, peninsulas, rocks, 

 coves, passages, and inlets ; forming safe harbors, and free from 

 dangers. The land surrounding these is similar to that heretofore 

 described, being an elevated table-land, covered sparsely with timber. 



After passing the Narrows, the first island is Fox's, which lies in 

 a southeast and northwest direction ; it is 4 miles long by 1 wide, 

 and forms the south side of Hale's Passage, which leads to Vanderford's 

 Harbor and Carr's Inlet, both indenting the Great Peninsula on the 

 south end. Vanderford's Harbor is of small extent, 11 miles north 

 and south, by one-fourth of a mile wide. Five miles to the west 

 is Carr's Inlet, a large and fine sheet of water, 8 miles long by 2 

 wide. On its east side lies Allshouse's Islet, and two small coves ; 

 at its head is a mud-flat, with a small stream entering into it. 

 Anchorage may be obtained under 20 fathoms water, with good hold- 

 ing-ground, anywhere abreast of and above Allshouse's Islet. The 

 route up Puget's Sound, for vessels, leaves Fox Island on the star- 

 board hand, keeping well over towards the Nisqually shore, in order 

 to avoid the Toliva Shoal, which lies a mile off Point Gibson, the 

 southeastern point of Fox Island. This shoal is of small extent ; it 

 has 18 feet on it at low water, and requires attention only by 

 vessels of great draft of water. The following ranges give its posi- 

 tion, viz., the north end of Ketron Island on with Nisqually Bluff, 

 the Islands of M'Niel and Anderson just touching, and the east end of 

 Fox Island with the bluff on the west side of the Narrows. 



The east side of Puget's Sound trends from the Narrows south- 

 by-west ; it has but slight indentations in it, and the depth of water 



